By the time firefighters arrived at the burning home in the 2800 block of Bayonne Avenue in Northeast Baltimore, all seven people inside had gotten out thanks in large part to tenant Brian Callaway.
"It was all adults. We woke some people up upstairs and I got out. Thank God," said Callaway.
With heavy smoke and fire showing from the top floor, firefighters braved the heat from the flames inside, while having to cope with the freezing temperatures outside.
"The cold presents a challenge as we're throwing water, the icy conditions, the pavement gets real slippery and things of that nature,” said Baltimore City Fire Chief Roman Clark, “It makes it difficult for the firefighters to trek through and even on these small streets, for the apparatus to get up through these small streets sometimes can be challenging."
Meanwhile, firefighters had to cut a path through the heavy smoke as they ascended the stairs to the upper reaches of the house where one of them suffered an injury in the process of fighting the fire.
"We did have one injured firefighter who has been transported to a local hospital at this time with non-life-threatening injuries," said Clark.
Now, those same victims driven out of the house by the fire are left wondering where they will find a place to live mindful that while they are temporarily homeless, it could have been much, much worse.
"I didn't know how bad it was until I went up in the attic and it was completely full with smoke and that's when I realized that it was bad cause it was on the back side of the house where I couldn't see," said Callaway.
